In order to qualify for the Grand Prix Final -- after missing the event the past two seasons for varying reasons -- two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu needs to finish inside the top four at NHK Trophy, the sixth and last remaining Grand Prix series event. Hanyu competes on home ice in Japan this weekend, and the event is streaming live for NBC Sports Gold subscribers.
A full breakdown of Grand Prix Final-clinching scenarios can be found here.
Hanyu won the Grand Prix Final four straight times (2013-16). The prestigious December event would be the first time this season Hanyu and two-time Grand Prix Final champion Nathan Chen would compete head-to-head, outside the world championships in March.
Hanyu trains in Toronto alongside American Jason Brown, who will also be competing in Japan. Brown clinches a spot in the Grand Prix Final if he earns a silver or better, but is also very likely in if he earns a bronze medal.
Reigning Olympic and world champion Alina Zagitova of Russia is in a similar situation this weekend at NHK Trophy, needing to finish on the podium to clinch a berth in the Final. She faces Moscow-based training partner Alena Kostornaia (who needs to finish fifth or better to make the Final) and Japan’s Rika Kihira (must earn a medal of any color), among others such as 2019 European champion Sofia Samodurova of Russia and 2017 U.S. national champion Karen Chen.
MORE: Alina Zagitova focused on artistry, while other Russians push technical boundaries
Three teams in the pairs’ field at NHK Trophy can earn spots in the Grand Prix Final. Two-time world pair champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China and Russia’s Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov need a medal of any color to clinch, while Canada’s Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro need silver to clinch, but could win with a bronze and a high score. See the breakdown here for details.
In ice dance, four-time world champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France are favorites at NHK Trophy. They have appeared in three Grand Prix Finals and own a medal of each color, including a win at their most recent appearance in 2017. (The duo withdrew from a regular-series Grand Prix event last season and were unable to qualify for the Final.)
The most likely NHK Trophy scenario is that Papadakis and Cizeron win NHK Trophy, and Russia’s Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin finish second – and if that happens, Papadakis and Cizeron, Stepanova and Bukin and Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates (currently on the cusp of an entry) all make the Final.
MORE: Gabriella Papadakis, Guillaume Cizeron on ‘Fame,’ chasing history
NHK Trophy Broadcast Schedule
| Day | Time (ET) | Event | Network |
| Thursday | 10:30 p.m. | Rhythm Dance | NBC Sports Gold | STREAM LINK |
| Friday | 12 a.m. | Pairs’ Short | NBC Sports Gold | STREAM LINK |
| 2:30 a.m. | Women’s Short | NBC Sports Gold | STREAM LINK | |
| 5 a.m. | Men’s Short | NBC Sports Gold | STREAM LINK | |
| 10 p.m. | Free Dance | NBC Sports Gold | STREAM LINK | |
| Saturday | 12:30 a.m. | Pairs’ Free | NBC Sports Gold | STREAM LINK |
| 2:30 a.m. | Women’s Free | NBC Sports Gold | STREAM LINK | |
| 5 a.m. | Men’s Free | NBC Sports Gold | STREAM LINK | |
| Sunday | 4 p.m. | Highlights | NBC | STREAM LINK |
As a reminder, you can watch the events from the 2019-20 figure skating season live and on-demand with the ‘Figure Skating Pass’ on NBC Sports Gold. Go to NBCsports.com/gold/figure-skating to sign up for access to every ISU Grand Prix and championship event, as well as domestic U.S. Figure Skating events throughout the season. NBC Sports Gold gives subscribers an unprecedented level of access on more platforms and devices than ever before.
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